WHO's sick joke

Indonesia's Health Minister, Siti Fadilah Supari, has joined WHO's Executive Board.

The Detikcom news website reports Siti Fadilah Supari has been elected unanimously during the 60th World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva,

The health minister says the nomination represents world recognition and appreciation of Indonesia's active role in coping with global health problems. (Radio Australia)

Sort of like George Bush giving the Medal of Freedom to the architects of the Iraq War, I guess.

I had a hard time deciding what tag to put on this, although "Humor? (sarcasm)" seemed the most appropriate of the available offerings. Finally I decided to make up a new one: Grotesque.

More like this

"Hear me now, oh thou bleak and unbearable world
Thou art base and debauched as can be!" ...

By crfullmoon (not verified) on 20 May 2007 #permalink

I just checked the Who site and I did not see this lady as a memeber of the executive board...??

luis: I presume because she was just "elected." I do not know when she will assume her position.

Speaking of grotesque humor ie. transgenic H5's preference for healthy youth ripe with hormones... According to postings at Recombinomics, a fifteen year old in Medan, Indonesia is the latest confirmed human H5N1 case. Perhaps Indonesia's Health Minister, Siti Fadilah Supari's first pragmatic workbased act as WHO "employee" should be to let us all know what is going on vis a vis this and other people at that location!?!

* Has there been a change within that particular geographic strain, leading to an increase in transmission efficiencies -- this is the suggestion explored @ Recombinomics.

There are no news reports being fed thru NewsNow, etc, to fill in the blanks...

By Jon Singleton (not verified) on 20 May 2007 #permalink

More like when will we assume the position Revere. New category for Revere.... All encompassing of course and from left to right wing and you can name it ...APPEASEMENT.

I always wondered why the Indonesians were witholding and now we know. This way they can direct the money that is given to them and aid. This allows for them to steal it indirectly. Its like block grant money and aid when its given, no one ever really checks to make sure it gets to the right places with the assumption being that everyone will be honest about it. Oooookay, I can hardly wait until the first money gig comes up. We already know they want 20 million doses of the non-existent vaccine for their people (10%) when it comes. That will encompass 1/3rd of the total that the WHO was planning on in the first place.

Anyone think that appointing her is going to do anything for world health?

By M. Randolph Kruger (not verified) on 20 May 2007 #permalink

I hate to say it, but, here it is:

I told you so.

Even if I didn't predict this exact outcome, while all the furore about the virus samples was going on, I kept thinking, what exactly are individual officials fighting about?

Here we have at least one answer...

More to come, of course.

During each crisis, the input of the incompetent Indonesian Health Minister will lead to incompetent decisions being rendered by WHO.

Indonesia's H5N1 history is replete with this individual's failure to conclude that this disease required extraordinary actions. She rejected research money to the Surabaya researcher nearly 3 years ago when he said that pigs had H5N1 and there were other carriers of this disease besides birds. She did not follow the WHO guidelines for the culling of fowl surrounding the outbreak in Jakarta 2 years ago. She failed to educate the medical staffs around the country until the situation became dire. She failed to stockpile tamiflu in regionally accessible centers until the situation became dire. Her list of failures is nearly total. Yet the WHO faux and non-leadership nominated this person.

WHO is useless. This person is the posterchild of WHO's comopetence...NOT.

By GaudiaRay (not verified) on 21 May 2007 #permalink

Peter Principle-Promote to silence, promote to move an agenda, promote incompetence to get a better employee in the slot they are vacating.

By M. Randolph Kruger (not verified) on 21 May 2007 #permalink

I thought the Peter Principle was that people were promoted to the level of their incompetence, and then stayed there?

In which case, Supari would be a counter-example, since she's been promoted from a job at which she was incompetent. Unless, of course, one defines the job of Health Minister in non-public health-related terms.

Revere, do you think this is an attempt by WHO to get Indonesia to play along a little better? I have an idea about what Indonesia stands to gain, but perhaps WHO gains something as well?

STH: I have no doubt that's exactly what this is about. I don't have a problem with it if it gets somewhere (like neutralizing Indon). That doesn't mean that we can't say the truth about it: putting the Indon MoH on the Exec Board because of her contributions to global health is, well, grotesque. I'm sure she sold out her non-principles for a spot on the Board, another measure of corruption in the Indon gov't and an ndication of her price.

After Zimbabwe got elected to chair the UN council on sustainable development, nothing surprises me.

By Luna_the_cat (not verified) on 22 May 2007 #permalink

I dunno guys, I think we are just starting to see the cracks in the system at the top. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose in putting her on there and did it anyway. 60 nations voted for it ? They must have left their white canes and dogs at the front door. Hey, can I be Secretary General?

By M. Randolph Kruger (not verified) on 22 May 2007 #permalink

What they had to gain was to shut her up and get Indon back on board for sharing viruses. I doubt they had much to lose by this as her influence on the EB will likely be nil, but we'll have to see. However, even if I am right, I think it is reasonable to say how grotesque it is out loud and plainly. So I did.